Welcome Back Ron
by dorydafish
Summary: this is my first fanfic so i really need reviews!what happens when ron returns to hogwarts after a year away? FLUFF!


Welcome Back Ron 

Hermione bounded down the stairs taking two at a time. It was the first day of the week meaning there was going to be a certain letter for her in the post. She had been up at the crack of dawn, as she wanted to make sure that she opened it as soon as it arrived. She now placed herself on the bottom step willing the door to open the postal flap.

"Honey, wishing won't make it come any faster," Mrs Granger chuckled as she passed by on the steps. Her daughter was looked up to where her mother was passing taking her eyes off the door for only a second.

"Mum! I know! Its just today is Monday which means-," she started.

"Yes I know. Ron's letter will come today. And you haven't seen him in over a year so the letters are very important to you. I know dear." Her mother had a glint in her eye. She could tell even from the very first year that Hermione went to Hogwarts; her daughter had developed a certain soft spot for her redheaded best friend. Her friendship with Ron was much different than that with Harry. This was obvious. Mrs Ganger left her daughter to ogle at the door and proceeded up the narrow staircase.

Thirty-five painstaking minutes later the letter finally arrived. A small brown envelope as always popped onto the floor. Hermione smiled. She didn't mind the fact that the letter was short as long as Ron wrote to her. She spent hours replying to each letter and just to get a letter back was enough to make her happy.

As soon as she was safely in her bedroom away from her parents prying eyes, she opened the envelope. She slowly read the letter and squealed with delight. She rushed downstairs and trusted the paper in her mother's hands.

"Mum, he's coming back to Hogwarts in two weeks." She exclaimed.

Mrs Granger took the paper out of Hermione's hands and read what it said.

Hey 'Mione,

Jus got back from a two-day safari. It was way cool. You should have been there. The sunset was pretty good too. Bill and me are going to visit some baby snorelaks so I better go and mentally prepare myself. I still can't believe he didn't tell me about the spiders he knows that I'm terrified of them! Oh well. I got to go now but I'll talk to you soon, okay?

Ron

p.s. I'm coming home in exactly two weeks! See you then.

"That's nice dear," her mother said as she handed back the letter.

"What do you mean by saying that's nice?" Hermione demanded. "I can't believe that is all you are going to say. My best friend is coming home. I have so much to organise. I will have to sort out the common room for a party. Do you think that Professor McGonagall is going to approve of a party-" Hermione began to ramble to mostly herself, but she didn't really care. Ron was coming back!

The next week she went back to school and managed to get Professor Dumbledore's permission as well as the permission of the head of Griffindor. Organising the party took most of her free time and the day of Ron's return came in a flash. She was the most anxious about Ron's return, though most of the others were just happy that there was going to be a party during the school week. Harry himself was too busy with Quidditch to help with the preparations though he did say that he would arrive early at the party to help with the decorations and Hermione was grateful for this.

She was dressed in a black gown with her hair piled on top of her head with loose curls hanging around the nape of her neck, two hours before Ron was due to arrive. She even managed to put on some make-up with Lavender's help as well as a lecture on how a seventeen-year-old girl really should know how to apply make-up.

The whole room was heaving with people by six that evening. Hermione stole quick glances at the portrait whole every few seconds to check that she hadn't missed Ron coming into the room unnoticed. After what felt like hours she saw a flash of red hair emerge from the hole. Her heart skipped a beat. He looked amazing. He was more built rather than his skinny self and had the most gorgeous tan. And it seemed all the girls thought this too, seeing as they all began to swoon over him and wrap themselves around him.

"Well of course he's going to get attention, he has been away for a long time," she reasoned with herself. "I really should go and say hi"

She nervously cleared her throat and wondered over to where Ron was standing. She felt slightly uncomfortable seeing as there were so many girls around but somehow made it to the front the crowd. "Hi Ron," she breathed.

Ron turned and replied, "Oh 'Mione, can you get me a couple of drinks for me and Lavender." Hermione felt as though someone had slapped her across the face. Lavender looked smugly at her. She couldn't believe that Lavender had done this. She knew how much Hermione had liked Ron.

Hermione wouldn't give Ron the satisfaction of seeing her upset and looked him straight in the eye. "Actually my name is HERmione and no. No I cannot get drinks for you or..." She gave Lavender the dirtiest look she could manage. "…_Lavender_". She turned on her heel and walk straight out of the room leaving Ron completely shocked at her outburst.

As the music started playing however, Ron forgot all about the outburst and began slow dancing with Lavender. He couldn't believe that the hottest girl in the school actually missed him. "So who's idea was it for the party?" He asked curiously. He didn't think that anyone at the school would have a party just for him.

"Oh well that was Hermione." Lavender said in an extremely bored tone.

"Really?" He started getting uncomfortable and a small amount of guilt began to itch his brain. "So you guys all helped her organise it?"

"Well…no. She kind of did that to and well basically all of the preparations as well as the asking permission thing." Lavender snapped her chewing gum.

"Did anyone help her?" His voice became higher, as realisation of what he had done slowly sunk in.

"Well I think Harry might have helped her with the decorations…"

"I got to go." Ron hurried outside. He had to find Hermione. He had potentially just lost one of the most important people in his life! He felt like the lowest of the low. "Welcome back Ron" He muttered to himself.

Meanwhile Hermione had made her way to the Quidditch pitch and sat herself down on the bleachers. She reminisced about all the times she had sat there watching Ron play Quidditch, cheering him on, watching his face when they won the house cup last year. Tears slowly ran down her face. So much for the 'Welcome Back' party. How could she have got it so wrong? She thought Ron would never change. She thought that he cared. Who was she kidding; at the first sign of popularity he dropped her. Frustrated at herself, she kicked the seat in front.

"Hermione," She heard a whisper. She looked up and saw Ron standing there looking as if he might cry too. "I'm so sorry. I know I've been such a prat and you have every right to hate me forever. But please can you forgive me." He sat down next to her and held his face in his hands. "I really don't know why I did it. I can't stand Lavender, she's so fake. You know like "Look at me, look at me", I hate that."

Hermione sniggered and Ron turned to look at her. She was so beautiful, why hadn't he realised that before? She was just too good to be true. "Why did you do it? Why did you organise the party"

"I thought we were best friends and I wanted to show you how much you mean to me – I mean as a friend," She hastily added.

"As a friend," Ron echoed slightly disappointed.

There was a pregnant pause as both looked on at the brightly lit Quidditch pitch.

Ron spoke first. "You know, I've just realised that I really like this girl. And have done for forever but just realised it now."

"Yeah?" Hermione squeaked out the one word. She could feel her heart breaking precisely at that very second.

"Yeah. She's really smart and really cared about me in a way that no-one else has ever done."

"She sounds perfect," Hermione's voice began to crack.

Ron shook his head. "But I've blown it. She organised this brilliant party for me and I treated her like crap."

They locked eyes. Hermione's began to brim with tears all over again. Ron cupped her face and wiped the damp face with his hands. "I'm so sorry Hermione. Will you forgive me?"

Hermione smiled, "'course I will."

Without thinking Ron leaned forward and gave her a long, slow, lingering kiss. As they moved apart Ron began to blush furiously. "Sorry," he whispered again.

"Don't be. I'm not." Hermione said with a twinkle in her eye.

Ron grinned his famous lop-sided grin and leaned in for a second time. "Welcome back Ron," she whispered softly in his ear and pulled him in for yet another well-awaited kiss.


End file.
